Former LostProphets vocalist, Ian Watkins, was today given a sentence of thirty five years for his sickening acts of child abuse, including the attempted rape of a baby. Twenty nine years will be spent in prison, with a further six on licence. His two co-defendents, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were sentenced to fourteen and seventeen years behind bars. The Welsh singer pleaded guilty to thirteen child sex charges at Cardiff Crown Court last month and the judge today stated that his actions "plunged into new depths of depravity."

Police are now working with authorities in the United States of America and Germany, as it is believed he may have committed similar acts in these countries. It was also revealed today that over 27 terabytes of data, around five times the size of the South Wales Police database, containing highly explicit images has been found in his home. He concealed his collection using encrypted files on an encrypted database, though experts from GCHQ, a British spy agency, were able to gain access to them.

Ian Watkins, the singer of Welsh rock band LostProphets, who is currently on trial in Cardiff Crown Court, has today plead guilty to numerous child abuse offences, including the attempted rape of two babies. The court has heard that in one instance, he filmed himself abusing a child in a hotel in West London. He was aided by the mothers of two of his victims, aged twenty one and twenty four, who also abused the children and made them available to the singer. Watkins, along with his co-defendents, will receive sentencing on December 18th. A statement from DCI Peter Doyle, the senior investigating officer in the case, reads as follows:

"This investigation has uncovered the most shocking and harrowing child abuse evidence I have ever seen. There is no doubt in my mind that Ian Watkins exploited his celebrity status in order to abuse young children. Today’s outcome ensures that the three people responsible have been brought to justice.

"The safeguarding of children has been the primary objective for the investigation team and the outcome of this investigation has been achieved through a multi agency approach at an international level.

"Two very young children have been removed from this abuse and given a future that would otherwise have been denied them. The investigation has been extremely complex and challenging with key information and evidence being identified from witnesses worldwide. More...

Independent.ie and several other news outlets are reporting that Ian Watkins of Lostprophets, who has been in jail awaiting trial on several sex crimes charges, has been placed on suicide watch. An excerpt from the article follows:

Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins is on suicide watch five times an hour as he prepares to stand trial in Wales accused of raping a baby.

A clinical psychologist suggested the singer receive anti-psychotic medication, and recommended he be moved from Parc prison in Bridgend to a psychiatric hospital.

Watkins denies 24 sex offences, including raping a baby and possessing an extreme image of a person having sex with an animal.

His co-accused, two females who cannot be named for legal reasons, also appeared in court today.

While one of the women, a 24-year-old, denies all charges against her, the other, a 20-year-old, has admitted sexually touching a child and taking and distributing indecent images of it.

All three were remanded in custody as Judge Eleri Rees adjourned the hearing until 14 October.

His trial is set to start on November 25th, 2013. There has been no official statement from the band at this point, although the LostProphets" Facebook profile remains online. Further details will be announced as they come available.

Although it wasn't expected until December, the organizers of Australia's Soundwave Festival have made their second band announcement. Joining the 60 bands already announced are Staind, Wednesday 13, Unearth, Cathedral, Shadows Fall, Heaven Shall Burn, Your Demise, Kittie, and 14 other (mostly non-metal) bands.

Hole has pulled out of the festival after frontwoman Courtney Love refused to play before Limp Bizkit. Soundwave boss AJ Maddah said on Twitter that he was "relieved we got the moody old cow off the bill. [There’s] no point talking her back, only for her to cancel later, or turn up & act like a rotten twat to other artists, fans, etc."

A third announcement in early December will add another five bands to the lineup, and Danzig is one of the confirmed possibilities. More...

Organizers of the Australian Soundwave Festival have made the first official lineup announcement. Joining the reformed Coal Chamber as previously reported will be headline acts System Of A Down, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, Marilyn Manson, Machine Head, Lamb Of God and Trivium as well as 53 other bands.

Nine Inch Nails has announced Lostprophets drummer Ilan Rubin to the lineup, who will replace Josh Freese, who is parting with the band at the end of the current North American leg of the tour. Here's the announcement from Trent Reznor:

"With great pride and excitement I announce the addition of Ilan Rubin to the lineup beginning next year. I had the chance to see Ilan playing his ass off at Reading and Leeds a couple summers ago and he blew me away. We recently invited him out to rehearse with us and he blew US away - the perfect guy to pick up the sticks after Josh leaves us at the end of the year.

A new trailer for the forthcoming video game Guitar Hero:World Tour, featuring Ozzy Osbourne lead guitarist/Black Label Society frontman Zakk Wylde has been posted online. You can check it out below.

Guitar Hero:World Tour will be released on October 26th and will feature a complete list of original recordings from the bands and artists themselves, allowing music lovers to experience their favourite songs from everyone from Dream Theater to Beastie Boys to Willie Nelson.

A posting on the official Download festival website has confirmed that six more bands have been announced. Legendary former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley is one of the acts confirmed who has been away from the UK for many years. Aussie rockers Airbourne have been added to the bill aswell as have southern rock favourites Black Stone Cherry. Irish Indie band Ash are also announced as have Elliot Minor. Finally, drum and bass act Pendulum are scheduled to perform.

This year's lineup has been the most controversial one yet. Many fans in the UK have been complaining of its choice of headliners and other acts with more British metal festival goers deciding to attend foreign festivals than before. More...

The Download website has announced some more bands for this years festival. Metal and rock fans who have been previously disapointed and even angry will probably not find any comfort in the latest batch of acts confirmed for the festival. Bullet For My Valentine, Madina Lake, Fightstar, Seether and Biffy Clyro have been confirmed as the latest additions to the British festival.

Within Temptation and Simple Plan are the latest bands to have confirmed their appearance at this year's Kerrang!-sponsored Download Festival.

Other bands set to join the three-dayer - which takes place at Donington Park on June 13, 14 and 15 - include Cavalera Conspiracy, The Dillinger Escape Plan and cello-wielding Finns Apocalyptica.

"The line-up at Download is always great, and it's something that we always want to be a part of," says Within Temptation vocalist Sharon den Adel. "It's one of those special festivals that you have to treasure when you're a band."

For den Adel, it will be a chance to draw a veil over last year's appearance which was fraught with technical difficulties.

"So many things didn't go the way that they were supposed to," she explains. "We had some technical problems that meant we started much later than we were supposed to, but even though we only ended up playing for around 15 minutes, there was still thousands of people going out of their minds. The crowd was so enthusiastic and that was really amazing to see."

Simple Plan drummer Chuck Comeau says the Montreal pop-punks can't wait to take part in this year's festival, especially when it comes to seeing Judas Priest and Kiss.

"It'll be awesome to see those bands at a festival like this," smiles Comeau. "Seeing that sea of people, and all jumping up and down at the same time or pounding their fists or whatever. I love it!"

Cavalera Conspiracy - featuring former Sepultura brothers Max and Igor - will make their UK debut at the festival, marking the first show the pair have played together on English soil since their acrimonious split after a show at London's Brixton Academy on December 16, 1996.

"I love Download!" says frontman Max Cavalera. "The last one with Soulfly was fucking great, and I think now it's even more exciting because it's me and Igor together in England, because of the last concert we played together in Sepultura. UK fans should be pretty fired up to see the Cavalera Conspiracy!"

The Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist Ben Weinman can't promise whether vocalist Greg Puciato will repeat antics at Reading 2002, where he defecated onto a towel and threw it into the crowd.

"I guess it depends what he eats!" laughs Weinman. "It was a situation that we felt we really needed to take advantage of. We knew there'd be thousands upon thousands of people that had never even heard of us watching that day, and we just wanted to give them something to keep them interested.

"We're really looking forward it," he adds. "I'm really looking forward to seeing Judas Priest. If I can stand at the side and watch Halford cruise onstage with his big-ass motorcycle I'll be a very happy guy."

Kid Rock is the latest act to confirm an appearance at this year's K!-sponsored Download Festival.

Tabloid bad boy Rock - who is currently touring the US with his Rock 'N' Roll Revival show - is joined by Bleeding Through, Throwdown, The Black Dahlia Murder and The Subways at the three-day rock spectacular at Donington Park on June 13, 14 and 15.

The Kerrang!-sponsored Download festival will be headlined by: Kiss, The Offspring and Lostprophets.

The Download festival takes place the weekend of June 13 to June 15. Tickets are on sale now. Prices are as follows: a full weekend ticket: £130, standard camping: £20, camper van: £40, family zone camping: £20, lockers: £11, parking £10 in advance or £15 on the day. There will be a variety of ticket packages available to buy, including the RIP packages (a VIP package) from £315. For Club or VIP Experience packages, please call 020 7009 3484 to discuss your requirements.

With the three headliners already in place - KISS, The Offspring and Lostprophets - You will be thrilled to learn that joining them on the weekend of 13, 14, 15 June in Donington Park will be CHRIS CORNELL, JIMMY EAT WORLD, JONATHAN DAVIS, 36 CRAZYFISTS and JOB FOR A COWBOY

This raft of US acts add to the Download 2008 bill which also sees Judas Priest, Motörhead, HIM, In Flames, Coheed & Cambria, Incubus, Disturbed, Rise Against, Alter Bridge and Children of Bodom appearing."

Following yesterday's announcement of Disturbed, Incubus, Alter Bridge and In Flames we have another two bands have been announced.

And they are K! Relentless Energry Drink Tour 2008 headliners Coheed & Cambria and the mighty Children Of Bodom!

For Coheed & Cambria it will be a chance to exorcise the demons from their appearance at Download 2006, a period when the band was close to falling apart.

"We were one man down," explains bassist Michael Todd. "Our drummer didn't make it over, so we were playing with our drum tech as a replacement and it was less than cosy onstage. It was kind of a bum-out as it was one of the biggest shows that we have ever played. "Donington is one of those festivals that if you have a good spot on the bill, you've made it!" he adds. "It's going to be awesome."

"We've wanted to play Download for years," explains Children Of Bodom bassist Henkka SeppÑlÑ. "I can't wait to see Judas Priest. They're a band everybody has to see!"

The Kerrang!-sponsored Download festival will be headlined by: Kiss, The Offspring and Lostprophets

The Download festival takes place the weekend of June 13 to June 15. Tickets are on sale now. Prices are as follows: a full weekend ticket: £130, standard camping: £20, camper van: £40, family zone camping: £20, lockers: £11, parking £10 in advance or £15 on the day. There will be a variety of ticket packages available to buy, including the RIP packages (a VIP package) from £315. For Club or VIP Experience packages, please call 020 7009 3484 to discuss your requirements.

According to Kerrang.com, ALTER BRIDGE, DISTURBED, IN FLAMES and INCUBUS have been added to the bill of this year's Download festival, set to take place the weekend of June 13-15 at Castle Donington, UK.

"On behalf of ALTER BRIDGE, I'd like to say that it is a huge honour to share the stage with so many great bands at the Download festival," Myles Kennedy from the band told Kerrang.com. "But, even more importantly, we look forward to re-connecting with old and new fans alike. The Download festival is always one of the highlights of our year."

"We are honored and are looking forward to sharing the stage with so many bands we respect and admire, and playing to one of the most rabid crowds in existence," stated DISTURBED's David Draiman.

IN FLAMES frontman Anders Fridén was equally excited: "We are really happy to play Download again!" he told Kerrang.com. "We played 2006 and that was an amazing show, such a great day. We are really looking forward to doing it again."

Tickets for Download 2008 are on sale now. Prices are as follows: a full weekend ticket: £130, standard camping: £20, camper van: £40, family zone camping: £20, lockers: £11, parking £10 in advance or £15 on the day. There are a variety of ticket packages available to buy, including the RIP packages (a VIP package) from £315.

KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have comented on the band's co-headlining appearance at this year's Download festival, se to take place at Castle Donington, UK the weekend of June 13-15.

Said Simmons: "For 35 years, we have prided ourselves in our opening: YOU WANTED THE BEST, YOU GOT THE BEST, THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD. We are throwing down the gauntlet. Let those who are faint of heart, take heed. We will take no prisoners."

Added Stanley: "I've always prided myself in living up to and beyond the legend. I can tell you we are ready to seize the moment and add to that legend. We remain KISS to our souls, and that truth will be deafeningly clear this June."

Tickets for Download 2008 will go on sale on February 8 at 9:00 a.m. Prices are as follows: a full weekend ticket: £130, standard camping: £20, camper van: £40, family zone camping: £20, lockers: £11, parking £10 in advance or £15 on the day. There will be a variety of ticket packages available to buy, including the RIP packages (a VIP package) from £315.

According to numerous website posts, KISS have been confirmed as the third headliners of the three day event to be held at the prestigious Donington Park in England, alongside The Offspring and Lost Prophets. Also newly confirmed to perform are Motorhead and Rise Against. Judas Priest and H.I.M. are also scheduled to play. It's believed that H.I.M. will schedule the second stage but which day is yet to be announced.

"This year's Kerrang!-sponsored Download festival will take place the weekend of June 13 to June 15 and will be headlined by Welsh rockers Lostprophets, Orange County punkers The Offspring and one other legendary rock band TBC!

Stay tuned to Kerrang! dot com tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday) at 4PM GMT when we will be announcing the fnal headliner and at 7:30PM for another two bands who will be playing Britian's biggest and best rock festival.

Tickets for Download 2008 will go on sale on February 8 at 9AM. Prices are as follows: a full weekend ticket: £130, standard camping: £20, camper van: £40, family zone camping: £20, lockers: £11, parking £10 in advance or £15 on the day. There will be a variety of ticket packages available to buy, including the RIP packages (a VIP package) from £315. For Club or VIP Experience packages, please call 020 7009 3484 to discuss your requirements."